One glaring problem was a disproportionate suspension rate for students in certain ethnic groups. “It was heart-wrenching to hear that in a district that I love and consider my home—I’ve been here for 25 years—that in many ways [students] felt invisible,” Dent laments.

Compounding the challenge was that the district began its equity work at a time of heightened political divisiveness and resistance from some corners of the community to promoting inclusivity in all school operations. “We were making sure every student felt valued… by celebrating culture, by having different languages present, so students can walk down hallways and see themselves,” says Dent, Washington’s Superintendent of the Year for 2024.

More from DA: Districts charge into 2024 with a diverse group of new leaders

The results of these efforts were a drop in those problematic suspensions and a significant increase in graduation rates for Hispanic students.

Along the way, a new administrator was hired to ensure equal access for all learners and students formed the district’s first Black student union. The district’s school board, which was also recognized as tops in the state this year, has passed the first policy to explicitly prohibit racist behavior.

“It’s been exciting to see these students feel more empowered in their buildings, feel like they have a voice,” notes Dent, who has been Sumner-Bonney Lake’s leader since 2016. “It makes my heart so happy that students are coming together to share their experiences, and they feel safe doing it.

“We finally made it safe to talk about race in this district,” she adds.

Feeling safe, seeking help

Still, student mental health is one thing that keeps Dent up at night. She hopes Sumner-Bonney Lake is easing the challenge with its DEI work and by hiring more diverse staff members. Dent has placed five counselors at each high school and provided them with intensive training in trauma-informed practices.

She has also expanded teletherapy, hosted a mental health night specifically for student-athletes and their families, and hired a coordinator to oversee Sumner-Boney Lake’s whole-child initiatives. “When kids feel safe at school, they’re going to be more willing to reach out for help,” she attests.

Sumner-Bonney Lake’s students have been academically resilient, as evidenced by rising test scores. But from the pandemic to the constant thrum of social media to various external pressures, there appear to be many causes for the increased levels of anxiety and depression students are experiencing, Dent suspects.

“It’s kids feeling connected and forging that sense of connection again, even with relationships—like ‘It’s OK to look at somebody and talk to them, you don’t have to just text them,'” she concludes. “I don’t know what toll technology is taking on them.”

The post “It makes my heart happy”: Celebrating culture creates safe spaces appeared first on District Administration.

“It feels like we are united as a community more so than we ever have been,” says Rodrequez, who has led the district for eight years and was named Missouri’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year. “It’s bringing us all together around a common purpose and a common understanding … in a way that maybe we didn’t have before.”

The school rebranding process began with “a lot of conversations with a lot of people,” he points out. From staff to families and beyond, stakeholders were asked about what distinguished Grandview C-4 schools and where the district was excelling.

More from DA: School-within-a-school uses PBL to help students make a big move

“There wasn’t a unified answer—everybody had different looks at it so it was hard for us to truly determine what our identity was,” he notes. “So we started talking to a lot of community members about how do we unite around a common purpose.”

One of the pillars that emerged, and became part of the district’s mission statement, was developing future-ready students. Previously, that focus did not extend beyond high school as other educators saw their role as moving students up to the next grade rather than preparing them for college and careers.

“This was something our community and teachers rallied around,” Rodrequez points out. “Preparing students for their future may just be kindergarten or first grade.”

Then there was the district’s family of mascots. While the high school and middle school communities knew themselves as the Grandview Bulldogs, the district’s five elementary schools had five different identities. Surprisingly, he adds, there was little pushback to changing everyone over to the Bulldogs, as evidenced by T-shirts, stickers and other enthusiasm students displayed once the shift was finalized.

“They didn’t see themselves as that other identity—’I don’t really see myself as a Meadowlark,'” he explains. “They could rally behind everybody being a Bulldog because that’s what they see themselves as in middle school and high school.”

School rebranding also jibed with the district’s wide-ranging construction projects, which were funded by Grandview’s largest-ever bond approval—$45 million—in 2021. It allowed to planners to use the same logo and color scheme as they built a new gymnasium and redesigned CTE facilities, cafeterias and band rooms. Finally, the reinvigorated spirit of unity has filtered into the classroom via a districtwide focus on literacy, which has driven three years of growth. The number of students reading on grade level has risen to over 60% from just under 30%.

Rodrequez says he is trying to savor the success as the construction projects—and the rebranding—are now largely completed. “You’re constantly looking three to four years down the road and hoping to get there,” he concludes. “I’m excited about the next phases but I’m still living in the moment of this; it’s a really great year to live through.”

The post How rebranding has this superintendent living in the moment—for now appeared first on District Administration.

Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, was named the District Administration National Superintendent of the Year. 

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named District Administration’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year!” said Dr. Marrero. “Serving as DPS Superintendent has been an inspiring journey. Collaborating daily with our dedicated educators to ensure every learner in this district thrives fills me with overwhelming pride. Thank you to #TeamDPS for your help in achieving this extraordinary recognition for our district.” 

Amy Dujon, Vice President of District Administration Leadership Institute, offered high praise for Dr. Marrero: 

“Driven by an unwavering commitment to student success, his transformative leadership, resilience, and innovative vision have set a new standard for educational excellence. In the face of challenges and crises, Dr. Marrero’s dedication to fostering a safe, inclusive learning environment while pioneering initiatives such as the groundbreaking Glenbrook Greenhouse, nationally recognized Sustainability Plan, and Community Hubs represents the qualities that make him an exemplary leader. His principled decision-making, coupled with a passion for positive change, has not only elevated Denver Public Schools but serves as an inspiration for educational leaders nationwide.” 

Districts of Distinction: Inspiring Replicable Success Stories 

At the heart of Districts of Distinction is the belief that remarkable, homegrown programs can inspire and be replicated by educators nationwide. We are searching for pioneering initiatives that have made a significant impact on student achievement, engagement and overall educational excellence. By sharing these successful models, we empower educators to build similar programs in their districts, fostering positive change in education across the country. The 2024 winners are: 

• Academic Acceleration: Fulton Public Schools, AR 
• Student and Adult Wellness: Poway Unified School District, CA 
• College and Career Pathways: Laurens County School District 55, SC 
• Recruitment and Retention: Warsaw Community Schools, IN 
• Equity and Inclusion: Spokane Public Schools, WA 
• Technology: Tiverton Public Schools, RI 

Leaders of Distinction: Honoring Visionaries in Education  

Leaders of Distinction provides an exceptional platform to recognize individual leaders who have demonstrated exceptional vision, executed innovative strategies and achieved remarkable results. The awards in this category honor extraordinary superintendents, cabinet leaders, technology leaders and principals who have spearheaded transformative initiatives, paving the way for progress within their districts. The 2024 winners are: 

• Dr. Jose Dotres, Miami Dade Public Schools, FL 
• Dr. Matthew Frederickson, Bowling Green R-1 School District, MO 
• Alex Haltom, Hemlock Public Schools, MI
• Beverly Miller, Greeneville City Schools, TN 
• Dr. Barbara Mullen, Rush-Henrietta Public Schools, NY 
• Dr. Patrick Wnek, Northeast Florida Educational Consortium 

Women of Distinction: Recognizing Leadership Excellence 

These awards recognize women who have exhibited exceptional leadership skills in the education field, inspiring and empowering others to achieve their full potential, resulting in improved student outcomes, increased graduation rates or enhanced educational opportunities. The 2024 winners are: 

• Maura Horgan, Newark City Schools, NJ 
• Dr. Kelly May-Vollmar, Desert Sands Unified School District, CA 
• Atiya Perkins, Linden Public Schools, NJ 
• Dr. Jeanne Siegenthaler, Richmond School District, WI 
• Dr. Cherie Washington, Fort Worth Independent School District, TX 

About District Administration Leadership Institute: 

The District Administration Leadership Institute stands as the foremost national pre-K12 organization dedicated to empowering district leaders through a comprehensive suite of services. With a commitment to excellence, we offer expert advice, thought-provoking convenings and practical resources that cater specifically to the dynamic needs of educational leaders. At the heart of our mission is the provision of cutting-edge leadership development opportunities tailored for superintendents and senior staff. We foster an environment that inspires innovation and cultivates leadership excellence within the PreK-12 education sector. The DA Leadership Institute is steadfast in its pursuit of advancing educational leadership, ensuring that our nation’s schools are equipped with the visionary guidance needed to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.  

Press Contact: 

Amy Dujon, Vice President, District Administration Leadership Institute
amy.dujon@etcnetwork.com  

The post Winners of the 2024 District Administration National Awards Program announced appeared first on District Administration.

At the final DALI Summit this year at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Florida, superintendents seamlessly shifted gears between commiserating with fellow district leaders and getting down to business to identify, diagnose and provide solutions to some of their most top-of-mind issues. Whether in a focused learning session or during a lunch break, the wheels spun passionately.

“You all know how difficult the role is, but we all have our challenges and our strategies, and we’re trying to do our best for students,” said Jose Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools and Leader of Distinction awardee.

Such an incredible start to our Superintendents Summit in Naples! A huge thank you to Dr. Courtney Orzel for delivering a keynote that set the tone for excellence. Grateful for your authenticity and inspiration. #EducationLeadership #DALI #LiveYourLegacy @drorzel https://t.co/yNumvjtqgY

— DA Leadership Institute (@DA_Leadership) December 14, 2023

DALI’s inaugural award ceremony

At DALI’s inaugural Awards of Distinction ceremony, superintendents and district leaders across the nation celebrated their colleagues’ biggest accomplishments over the past year.

Ameca Thomas, superintendent of Laurens County School District 55 (S.C.), was awarded a Districts of Distinction award in the College and Career Pathways category for helping students enrolled in a pathway program achieve a 100% graduation rate. Alex Haltom, Director of Innovation, Technology, and Media Services for Hemlock Public School District (Mich.), received a Leader of Distinction award for ensuring students’ access to WiFi away from campus.

And Superintendent Alex Marrero of Denver Public Schools took home the award for Superintendent of the Year. Since assuming the position in 2021, Marrero has struck a deal with union bargaining groups to ensure a $20 minimum wage by 2025, and the graduation rate has increased by a district-high 2.5%. The DPS leader also guided his district through a school shooting that claimed one student’s life and injured two administrators.

Marrero turned to the crowd of superintendents, a position that continues to garner turnovers en masse, and addressed the challenge of making high-level executive decisions.

“There’s not many of us. There are a lot of fallen soldiers,” Marrero said. Then, quoting Richard Carranza, former chancellor of the New York City Department of Education: “You have to do your job even if it leads to you losing your job.”

More from DA: Latest school closures force leaders everywhere to make tough choices

In conversation

Superintendents and other district leaders covered a lot of ground together, exploring topics such as artificial intelligence and live learning. However, some topics seemed universal.

Teacher recruitment and retention tended to dominate the conversation. Cherie Washington, Chief of Student Support Services at Fort Worth Independent School District (Texas), described it as a staffing crisis that goes beyond employing teachers. Washington, who also won a Women of Distinction award, suggested forging stronger assistant principal-principal pipelines.

“We have to really focus on how we are going to recruit and retain great teachers, and I think that also spills over into administration,” she said. “We focus on the principals, but as they leave, are we focused on preparing our next leaders?”

In New York City, teacher hiring has returned to pre-COVID levels, but it’s still attempting to rebound from a falling retention rate. Kelly Shannon, deputy superintendent of District 2 of New York City’s Department of Education, discussed the importance of supporting teachers across multiple dimensions. Leaders need to ensure teachers are working in a healthy culture and climate, provide individualized mentorship opportunities, and support veteran teachers as much as their new ones, she said.

Superintendents also grappled with methods to keep students engaged and involved in school amid rampant absenteeism. One method leaders discussed was creating more intentional and exciting before and after-school programs to limit students’ distractions.

“Above all else, parents want their kids to belong,” said Dawn Bridges, vice president of educational affairs at Right At School. “Districts need capacity-building partners who can help build aftercare and enrichment programs.

Maura Horgan, superintendent of Newark City Schools (Ohio) and Women of Distinction awardee, has long been a proponent of developing STEM-focused afterschool programs to boost student engagement and camaraderie.

“If you’re not intentionally trying to make progress, you’re working in a vacuum,” she said.

Patrick Wnek, executive director of the North East Florida Educational Consortium, finished tooling together his Lego sculpture, emblematic of hands-on student inquiry. At first, embarrassed by the challenge, it reminded him of the chance students and leaders take every day to learn—and to lead.

“It’s important to fail forward,” he said.

The post What you missed at DALI Naples: Awarding this year’s outstanding superintendents appeared first on District Administration.

No, it’s not some scheme to turn a big profit by buying up abandoned real estate. Rather, it has everything to do with putting students on track for successful futures in college and the workforce, says Superintendent Michelle Hubbard, whose district covers 14 suburban cities.

The market value assets—also known as “MVAs”—that Hubbard wants students to leave high school with include nine hours of college credit, a professional certification, a 120-hour internship or completion of a client-based project. It’s that last asset that was earned by about 300 sophomores from Shawnee Mission South High School when they helped the city of Overland Park open its swimming pools last summer for the first time since COVID.

The problem was a lack of lifeguards. The students, as part of their English classes, investigated the labor shortage, which required them to get feedback from the Overland Park city council on the way to reopening the pools. “It was a project where kids learned, they did the research and were able to solve the problem,” says Hubbard, who was recently named Kansas Superintendent of the Year.

And here’s the achievement of which she says she’s proudest. In 2022-23, more than double the number of African American students, English learners, special education students, and students on free and reduced lunch not only graduated but also earned a market value asset. By 2030, the district expects to have every student graduate with a diploma and an MVA.

Also on the career front are its hospital-style emergency room, biotech, engineering and aerospace labs, and an urban farm, which sits right outside Hubbard’s office and provides food for its “first-class” bistro. “Our community is so supportive of education and supportive of bond issues to have state-of-the-art facilities for our students,” she explains.

During her time in Shawnee Mission, the district has opened 11 new elementary schools. “They’re not new because of enrollment but because we need better facilities,” she adds. “We’re landlocked so our enrollment is pretty flat … we will tear down a facility and rebuild it so our students have great collaboration spaces.”

She spends as much time as possible in those elementaries and her other schools getting to know students and staff. Every Thursday she visits a different school with members of her leadership team. “My goal, every time I’m in a building, is to meet someone new,” she points out. “It’s really important to be able to call them by name, and know something about them and know about the work they’re doing.”

Read more from DA: What makes this unique middle school one of the coziest places in town

When she’s not visiting a school, she tries to maintain steady communication with her community. That includes a new podcast (she’s recorded seven episodes so far) and being transparent with all of her operations. “When I became superintendent, we were struggling with culture … people were burnt out, we had a large amount of turnover, especially in our teaching staff and support staff,” she notes. “It was really important to turn that culture around and I think we’ve done a great job.”

At the same time, the role of the superintendent has changed significantly since the pandemic and political turmoil of recent years. She worries that parents no longer trust educators or the education system as much as they once did. “It’s made it really hard to be a teacher, which makes it hard to be a superintendent,” she concludes. “I cannot be successful at this level unless teachers are happy and teaching kids.”

The post Don’t know about market value assets? Let this superintendent explain appeared first on District Administration.

“I’m excited about the future for kids,” says Galván, who was recently named Superintendent of the Year on by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. “The students, our board of trustees, the teachers—everyone is so invested in Greenfield.”

Proof of that investment lies in the opportunities for post-secondary success created by the partnerships Galván has formed with organizations such as Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools and companies such as Apple and Lego.

Partnership No. 1 focuses on virtual reality

The League of Innovative Schools is a national coalition of about 150 districts that collaborate to identify instructional practices that will have big impacts on student achievement.

It has allowed Galván to travel to different districts to examine cutting-edge instruction and Greenfield’s work with the organization has paved the way for widespread use of virtual reality in the district, which has allowed students to tour the world and has further led to the launch of esports labs. Virtual reality and esports have also become key vehicles for project-based learning and problem-solving skills, Galván notes.

Partnership No. 2 revs up robotics

The Apple and Lego partnerships enable Greenfield to offer robotics in all five of its schools and to send students to the toy company’s national FIRST competitions. Galván and her team have plotted how robotics will take students from the early grades all the way to graduation and beyond. “We backward map the skills from preschool all the way through to the secondary setting,” she points out.

Because Greenfield is just over an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley, students take regular field trips to get exposure to various careers in the tech industry. Students who recently got a behind-the-scenes look at the Apple campus also got a chance to chat with CEO Steve Cook about computer science, robots and careers. Galván also got to address Apple leaders and investors.

“That was a game-changer for the children of Greenfield, who got out of our small farm-working community to meet with a billionaire,” she says. “My message to everyone there was, that everybody has a story, when you discover your story then you discover your purpose in life. I asked everyone to ask my kids about their story and to tell them your story.”

Partnership No. 3 focuses on virtual reality

The district has a new partnership with AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which has selected Greenfield as a model for K12 innovation. The organization is sending a group of superintendents and other leaders to tour the district in the spring.

Dwindling districts? There’s more than one reason that leaders are now closing dozens of schools

And what does Galván intend to show off when the leaders visit? “We’re going to share culture—how leadership impacts culture,” she says. “When the superintendent sets the tone, the directors, the C-suite, the board, the principals, the teachers, our classified labor partners all share that. We have really great culture here in Greenfield that we’ve cultivated over the last seven years.”

Some of the hallmarks of that culture include not having had a single grievance about a contract violation in six years—since her first year leading the district. “I’m going to have the (ASAA) team interview teachers, like any teacher, grab any teacher and just talk to them about our culture here,” she exclaims. “I am unafraid for them to talk to anyone because they’ve been the work we’ve done together.”

Galván and her team also work closely with local government, including the fire and police departments, as well as neighboring school districts and a range of nonprofit organizations, colleges and social service providers. “When you watch me or the district on social media, you’ll see the bright faces of students and team members,” she concludes.

“That is something we cultivate—it’s the day-to-day interactions … that really make a district what it is. When you invest in people, then people are more willing to go the extra mile and do the work for kids.”

The post The 3 important partnerships that help this superintendent make a difference appeared first on District Administration.

“Because we only have them one year, we spent a lot of time building relationships with students,” explains Bevel, whose campus is part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools. “We’ve figured out that sense of belonging is key for our kids—everything we do goes around that.”

That sense of belonging is grounded in a house system that fosters a range of competitions in which students earn points for academics, behavior, character development and participation, among other K12 benchmarks. Everyone from students and teachers to bus drivers and custodians belong to one of the school’s four houses. Students also participate in Amazing Shake competitions that stress eye contact, listening and, of course, shaking hands, among other soft skills.

Because not all students are top athletes or high academic achievers, educators also reward students for making progress. All of these engagement approaches are paying off—Bayside is now tops among Virginia Beach’s middle schools for attendance, having climbed from the bottom of the list in recent years.

Bevel also encourages all of her staff—including cafeteria workers and security guards—to speak to children regularly. “Everybody has a role in being part of our kids’ lives here while they’re in the school,” she notes. “[Kids] want to be here. They know we care.”

Engagement equals achievement

The intense focus on creating a sense of belonging is having an impact on achievement. In the 2021-22 school year, less than a third of students met grade-level expectations for reading. By the end of the year, almost 90% of students passed the same reading test.

Embedding tutoring into the school day is one new approach that is driving achievement—because it ensures students will get individualized support, Bevel explains. She and her team have also created space for peer-to-peer student tutoring by expanding the cafeteria into a learning center.

“Most kids don’t want to stay after school, especially for tutoring,” she adds. “When you add it to the instructional programs, it winds up being a mandatory piece.”

Importance of teaching abroad

As unique as her school is Bevel’s pathway to the principal’s post. After teaching science in another Virginia district, she taught the same subject in Abu Dhabi, where she eventually became a middle school math and science department chair. One reason she chose Abu Dhabi was that it followed Virginia’s curriculum. The bigger reasons were to expand her horizons as a teacher and learn more about inclusivity and cultural competence, she says.

More from DA: Districts are using teacher retention grants to staff up

Someone who considers themselves a good teacher should be able to teach any children, anywhere, she asserts. The experience abroad also showed her how to integrate what she learned about the students’ backgrounds and cultures into science instruction.

“As a leader, it’s helping me do the same thing—being able to support all cultures, all types of diversity, and adapt to different children,” she concludes. “And just being able to speak to that when I talk to teachers about diversity—teaching is not just about talking, talking, talking. You have to be able to absorb and learn and respect.”

The post What makes this unique middle school one of the coziest places in town appeared first on District Administration.

That morning, Bedell, who is now superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, had been cut off by another driver on his commute and was given the middle finger when he honked his horn. After issuing a reprimand, it took him a moment to realize that he was probably taking his frustration out on the student and may also have succumbed to implicit bias.

It turned out the student was then experiencing homelessness, and to this day, the exchange illuminates the distress that educators are sometimes causing students, albeit inadvertently, Bedell explains.

“The kid put his hand on my shoulder, he was crying and he said, ‘Mr. Bedell, you don’t even know me. I don’t get in trouble, I come to school every day, and you’re riding me over my pants … I’m trying to do my best and you’re getting ready to put me right back out on the streets I’m trying to escape,'” recalls Bedell, who was recently named Superintendent of the Year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators.

“It floored me,” he adds. “It floored me.”

Connecting on a human level was the main reason Bedell took an extensive listening tour when he arrived in Anne Arundel County in July 2022 after spending six years as superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri. He learned that parents and families wanted the district to transition to the science of reading and revamp the math curriculum and he heard concerns about staffing shortages.

He offers this advice to other incoming superintendents who would go on their own listening tours. “No. 1, be vulnerable—let people know who you really are,” he asserts. “People see superintendents as these robots and I’ve always felt like when I go out and I may crack a joke, I’ve seen teachers say ‘Oh he’s human. Oh, he has a personality.'”

That vulnerability—along with a recounting of his life story—provides credibility to engage in more difficult conversations about systemic problems in public K12 education. “I let people know I’m not perfect, I’ve made mistakes,” he explains. “I let parents know I’m here to make sure your kids are going to be able to prosper and they’re going to learn in a barrier-free environment, and there are some things we have done as adults to harm children that we can no longer allow to happen.”

For Bedell, that harm has been caused by implicit bias, which is why he will lay out the data when he meets with parents and plot out how the district is innovating in a more equitable and transparent direction. “We have assumptions and we have these expectations and we don’t know these kids and we harm them,” says Bedell, who also experienced homelessness as a child.

“I don’t want to be a superintendent who puts any further harm on these kids because of decisions we’ve made that create inequitable opportunities, that create barriers and that ultimately stifle any hope these kids may have that they can get through school and live a better life than what they’ve been handed.”

Keeping it real, people—on social media

Superintendent Kristin Brown, who recently took the helm at Lake Dallas ISD in Texas, began using social media in the previous district she led, Lyford CISD, to remain in touch with families on a human level—particularly during the uncertainties of COVID. “It really eliminated a lot of opportunity for rumors and misinformation to be spread,” Brown notes.

Family engagement: 5 key strategies to help leaders connect more effectively

The connections she made motivated community members to alert her when they spotted false information being posted about her or the district on social media. She bolsters those relationships by regularly surveying her staff and the community, and ensuring all messages are translated into families’ preferred languages.

She encourages other superintendents to be brave and not be afraid to open themselves up in their in-person and online communications with their communities. “You have to be willing to hear the negative,” she explains. “People will take advantage on social media to share their unhappiness with your views or decisions. Take it in stride, and understand the positive outcomes of commutating with stakeholders far outweigh the negative response.”

Brown uses Facebook in particular to share “go team”-type posts about students’ achievements, such as broadcasting a pep rally on Facebook Live. “If it’s just information about the great things are kids doing, which happens on a daily basis, you can just post, you don’t have to share your own thoughts,” she concludes.

The post How two superintendents strive to be “real people” appeared first on District Administration.

Douglas Killian, who has been superintendent of Pflugerville ISD in Texas since 2017, was named Monday as the lone finalist to lead Cypress-Fairbanks ISD outside Houston. Killian, a U.S. military veteran, has also served as superintendent of Hutto ISD, Huffman ISD and Poteet ISD, racking up nearly 20 years of experience in the top spot in Texas districts.

A Texas Superintendent of the Year finalist in 2022, Killian spearheaded the passage of a $370 million bond package in Hutto ISD. “I believe in leading with honesty and integrity, setting high expectations, striving for continual growth and treating all students the same,” Killian said on Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s website.

Among the other superintendents relocating is Christopher Moran, who will move from Whitehouse ISD to San Angelo ISD (both districts are in Texas). Moran, who has been an educator for 32 years, will replace Carl Dethloff, who is retiring at the end of December. Moran has also served as superintendent of Brownsboro ISD and as an administrator in Clear Creek ISD.

And in Pennsylvania, Superintendent Daniel T. Potutschnig has found a new home in the Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District, where he will take the helm in early 2024. Potutschnig has been superintendent of the Millersburg Area School District since July 2022.

He previously served as the administrative director of the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology for 11 years and as assistant director of the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center.

First-time superintendents

Newton County Schools in Mississippi and Lee County Schools in North Carolina have both promoted their next superintendents from within. Newton County Schools chose Assistant Superintendent Brooke Sibley to take the helm on July 1, 2024, replacing Superintendent Tyler Hansford.

Prior to becoming assistant superintendent earlier this year, Sibley served the district as a director in various capacities, including in special education, talented and gifted, federal programs, curriculum, assessment, accreditation and accountability.

Read more from DA: One superintendent rebukes school board amid a new batch of resignations

Lee County Schools picked interim superintendent Chris Dossenbach to become its next leader. Dossenbach, a Lee County native and graduate of the district, has also served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and high school principal.

Finally, the Penn Hills School District in Pennsylvania has chosen its next superintendent, John Mozzocio, who is currently the director of pupil services and special programs supervisor at the New Castle Area School District.

A handful of retirements

On the other end of the career ladder, a handful of superintendents announced their plans to retire:

• Todd Martin will retire from Yadkin County Schools in North Carolina on March 1, after serving as the district’s leader since 2013.
• Tom Moore‘s last day at Great Falls Public Schools in Montana will be June 28, 2024.
• Superintendent Charlotte Seals will leave Madison County Schools in Mississippi at the end of the school year after 35 years with the district.

The post 3 superintendents find new homes while more districts tap first-timers appeared first on District Administration.

Here’s what superintendents and other administrators had to say at this November’s DALI summit about some of the most critical topics educators will contend with now and in the new year.

1. What’s keeping you up at night?

“Staffing, of course,” was the response from Jamar Perry, the associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction and student services at Granville County Public Schools in North Carolina. His district is offering longevity bonuses, mentoring and professional development to attract and retain staff who are willing to put in the work to ensure students become proficient in the core subjects.

Charlottesville City Schools in Virginia has not been able to offer some upper-level courses due to teaching vacancies, adds Superintendent Royal A. Gurley. He worries shortages will worsen as higher salaries in the private sector lure more and more employees away from public education.

And it’s a problem technology may not be able to solve. “It’s going to cripple a lot of school divisions,” Gurley asserted. “Doing it virtually, getting a virtual teacher is not going to be sufficient, especially for our most vulnerable learners. They need a teacher in the classroom.”

2. What keeps you going?

Districts are also contending with a higher-than-normal rate of administrative turnover in recent years. But not the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indiana, where Nikki C. Woodson has been the superintendent for 15 years. So what keeps her motivated?

“Easy answer: 110% the kids, and the kids’ progress, and their remarks when they come back from college and share insight into their K12 experience,” Woodson explained.

A recent college graduate who’d had a disciplinary problem while still in the district recently told Woodson she’d kept a note of encouragement that the superintendent wrote her at the time. The student kept the note taped to her mirror for all four years of college.

“I said ‘Hey, this is not who you are. Think about your future, focus on that, make choices thinking about your future,’” Woodson noted.

Kenneth Dyer, who has been superintendent of the Dougherty County School System in Georgia for seven years, has a go-to destination when he needs encouragement. “When I’m having a bad day, I go to our pre-K center,” Dyer explains. “That lets me hit the reset button. It helps me remember that I do this for the kids and to create opportunities so they will have a successful future.”

3. How are you supporting students’ mental health?

A recent survey Dougherty County survey returned some “alarming numbers” about students’ mental health struggles. The good news is that the district applied for and received a five-year, $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that has allowed Dyer to hire 17 behavioral health support staff.

“One thing we’re laser-focused on is making sure we provide an environment that’s safe and supportive,” he says. “The framework we have and the foundation we’re laying is promising.”

4. What exciting new academic programs are you offering?

The new dual-language immersion program at Granville County Public Schools gets students started learning Spanish in kindergarten, with the goal of having them become proficient by third grade. And in Charlottesville City, urban gardening is showing students the practical applications of core subjects such as math and science.

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“Students are growing things in the garden and eating them in the cafeteria,” Gurley noted. “It’s about sustainability and renewable energy. Hands-on learning is bringing it to life.”

5. Is anyone thinking about test scores anymore?

The answer is “yes,” according to Michael Porter, superintendent of the Omak School District in Washington. Porter has hired new instructional coaches for his elementary and middle schools so educators can take a deeper dive into the achievement data. The goal is to get support to students at the first sign that they are struggling. “Instead of just sitting and stewing, we said, ‘Let’s come up with some solutions,” Porter said.

6. Upping your communications game

The Omak School District is preparing to put a levy on the February ballot to renew operating funds for the next four years. Porter has been appearing on the radio regularly and posting on social media to raise awareness. His latest initiative is “Soup With the Supe”—an hour-long forum where parents and community members will be served dinner as they ask questions about the district’s ongoing initiatives.

He also meets community members for coffee as often as possible. “I don’t always hear from people not connected to the schools,” Porter adds. “I want people to feel like if they see something that doesn’t sound like Michael, I’m going to give him a call or I’m going to stop by and talk with him.”

7. And isn’t it time to embrace artificial intelligence?

AI is “the catalyst education needs to force change,” says Jeff McCoy, associate superintendent for academics at Greenville County Schools in South Carolina. Recent advances in artificial intelligence will allow educators to more accurately assess student learning and better personalize instruction to each learner’s needs.

Districts will have to prepare teachers to train students on the appropriate and ethical use of AI—but that’s not the only promise the technology holds for K12. “It’s a tool that needs to be embraced for teachers’ own well-being,” he concludes. “There are so many ways it can help them save time and be more efficient.”

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